Container opening mechanism



Dec. 27, 1966 Q MILETQ ET AL CONTAINER OPENING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1965 INVENTOR Z/Ao 47/4570 B Z A'fiomwccxl/o ATTORNEY Dec. 27, 1966 c, MILETO ET AL 3,294,275

CONTAINER OPENING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 6/20 M/z [r0 avflomv/cl Jama ca/0 A RNEY Dec. 27, 1966 v c. MILETO ET AL 3,294,275

CONTAINER OPENING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR nea Mmf 7'0 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,294,275 CONTAINER OPENING MECHANISM Ciro Mileto, 343 E. 115th St, New York, NY. 104129, and Dominick Cornacchio, 2765 Sampson Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10465 Filed Jan. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 428,608 2 Claims. (Cl. 22054) The present application is a continuation-in-part of US. Patent application Serial No. 396,680, filed September 15, 1964, now abandoned.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in container opening mechanisms and it relates more particularly to an improved tear strip detaching mechanism associated with a sealed container.

Many products, both of a liquid and solid nature, are packaged in hermetically sealed metal containers which require the severing of an end wall to afford access to the contents thereof. The severing of the end wall has usually been achieved by means of a can opener of one type or another. This procedure required the use of an implement not forming part of the container and was usually inconvenient and awkward. It has thus been a common practice to form an hermetically closed tear line or line of Weakness in the container end wall which delineates a tear strip and to secure a raisa-ble lie flat tear tab to an end of the tear strip, the tear tab being used to pull the tear strip and detach it from the end wall of the container to effect the opening thereof. While the provision of a tear strip and tear tab allows for :a convenient method of opening the container, the structure of the tear strip tear tab mechanism heretofore available possesses numerous drawbacks and disadvantages. They are diflicult to employ, often requiring an excessive pull to effect the severing of the tear strip along the tear line. They present a high personal hazard which can lead to injury to the operator and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved opening mechanism forming part of a metal walled container of the hermetically sealed type.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide in a container having a tear strip an improved mechanism for facilitating and expediting the severance and detachment of the tear strip.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved tear strip severing and detaching mechanism which minimizes the hazards to the operator.

Still a further object of the present mechanism is to provide an improved container opening mechanism of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, reliability and ruggedness.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a container embodying the present invention, the opening mechanism being illustrated in its inoperative normally stored condition;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view thereof, partially in section, with the tear lever illustrated in its raised operative position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2 with the tear tab illustrated in raised position in engagement with the tear lever, the tear strip being in its initially open position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating a later stage in the opening operation;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is'a top plan view of a further embodiment thereof;

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 1010 in FIGURE 9, the lever plate being illustrated by broken line in raised position;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIGURE 10;

FIGURES 12 and 13 are views similar to FIGURE 11 illustrating successive positions of the lever plate attendant to the opening of the tear strip.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a container comprising a wall provided with a tear line delineating a tear strip, a tear tab secured to said tear strip adjacent to an end thereof, and normally overlying said wall and movable to an upwardly extending position, and a lever member secured to at least one of said tear tab and tear strips, and normally overlying said wall and movable to an upwardly extending position between said tear tab and the other end of said tear strip.

According to a preferred form of the present device, the container wall is an end wall provided with a periptheral lip or bead and the tear strip extends outwardly from about the center of the end wall to about the edge thereof. The tear tab is secured to the inner end of the tear strip and is provided with an upwardly directed abutment shoulder. The lever is in the form of a plate secured by a tongue along a longitudinal line to the tear strip between the ends thereof. In its upright folded position the lever plate is provided with a rear angular edge adapted to engage the tongue shoulder and is provided along its forward edge with a fulcrum element defining projection forward of the junction point thereof to the tear strip, and a recess located thereon forward of the fulcrum element and adapted to engage the edge of the end wall attendant to the opening procedure. In accordance with a modified simple form of the present device the tear tab, as a separate element is omitted, and in its place the lever member is provided with an integrally formed rearwardly directed finger piece defining tab.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly FIG URES 1 through 5 thereof which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates an improved container provided with the present opening mechanism and which may be of any conventional construction. Typically the container, per se, includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 11, commonly formed of sheet metal and a circular top end wall 12 preferably formed of sheet aluminum. The peripheral border of the end wall 12 is clinched to the upper border of the cylindrical wall 11 in the conventional manner to effect a hermetically sealed connection with the formation of an upwardly directed peripheral lip or head 13.

A line of weakness 14 is formed in the end wall 12 in the wall-known manner without perforating the end wall 12 to delineate a tear strip 16 of any suitable shape. The tear strip 16 includes an outer arcuate edge 17 spaced shortly inwardly of and concentric with the lip 13, outer side edges 18 converging from the ends of the outer edge 17 and joining substantially parallel edges 19 extending substantially radially to a point shortly beyond the center of the end wall 12 and joined by a curved rear edge.

A tear tab member 20 formed of sheet metal is suitably secured, such as by a rivet 21, to a tear strip 16, adjacent to its inner end. The tear tab 20 in its inoperative stored position normally substantially flat overlies the end wall 12 and extends radially from the inner end of the tear strip 16 toward the opposite edge of the end wall 12. The free end of the tear tab 20 terminates in an upwardly inclined lip 22 to facilitate the grasping thereof and the raising of the tear tab 20 to an upright operative position as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Transversely medially formed in the tear tab 20 inward of the free end 22 is a longitudinally extending upwardly projecting lip 23 provided with an in wardly directed abutment shoulder 24.

In order to facilitate the tearing of the strip 16 from the remainder of the end wall 12 there is provided a tear lever 26 in the form of a relatively rigid plate afiixed to the tear strip 16 between the ends of the tear strip 16 and along the medial longitudinal axis thereof. The lever 26 normally lies fiat along the face of the end wall 12 and is provided with a tongue 27 suitably secured to the tear strip 16 and delineated from the lever 26 by a longitudinal fold line 28 which permits the erection of the lever 26 to an upright position. Considered in its erected position, the lever 26 is provided with an upwardly rearwardly inclined lower rear edge 29 terminating in a rearwardly directed step section 30. The lever 26 is so dimensioned that the upper shoulder of the step section 30 as delinated by the upper edge 32 of the lever 26 is adapted to engage the shoulder 24 when the lever 26 and the tear tab 20 arev erected, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, and the head of the connecting rivet 21 is spaced from the lever edge 29.

The forward edge 33 of the lever 26 is upwardly forwardly inclined and is provided a short distance above its bottom edge with a forwardly slightly downwardly directed fulcrum element 34 in the shape of a triangular section integrally formed with the lever plate and having an outer apex. A recess 36 is formed in the edge 33 adjacent to its upper end and is spaced from the bottom end of the edge 33 a distance approximately that between the lip 13 and said lower end whereby upon turning of the lever 26 the recess 36 engages the lip 13 which functions as a pivot point as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

Considering now the operation of the improved opening mechanism described above, in their dormant or inoperative condition the tear tab 20 and the lever 26 lie substantially flat over the end wall 12 below the upper edge of the lip 13 whereby not to interfere with the handling, storing, shipping and packing of the containers 10. In order to open the container, the operator merely erects the lever 26 to a vertical condition by bending it upwardly along the fold line 28 and then pulls the tear tab 20 upwardly separating the trailing section of the tear strip 16 from the wall 12 and bringing the shoulder 24 into engagement with the upper corner of the strip 30 as seen in FIGURE 3. The tear tab 20 and the lever 26 is then swung or rolled outwardly until the apex of the fulcrum 34 engages the tear strip 16 and the recess 36 engages the lip 13. The rolling or swinging movement of the tear tab 20 and lever 26 is continued about the upper edge of the lip 13 as the fulcrum, such movement effecting the easy and simple severing of the tear strip 16 from the end wall 12 until it is fully detached therefrom. The aforesaid procedure greatly facilitates and eases the tear strip severing and detaching process and minimizes the hazards usually attendant thereto.

In FIGURE 6 of the drawings there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention differing from that first described primarily in the point of securement of the tear lever. Specifically, the improved container 40 includes a top end wall 41 provided with an upwardly directed peripheral lip 42. Tear lines delineating a tear strip 43 are formed in the wall 41 and a tear tab 44 is secured thereto by a rivet 46, the tear tab 44 being provided with a shouldered rib 47. The tear strip 43 and the tear tab 44 are similar to the tear strip 16 and tear tab 20 previously described.

The tear lever 48 is a bendable fiat plate which may be suitably rib reinforced and is provided with an integrally formed leg 45 secured by the rivet 46 to the tear strip 43 and tear tab 44. Like the lever 26, the lever 48 is provided with a strip section 49 adapted to engage the forward shoulder of the rib 47 when the lever 48 and tear tab 44 are erected, and a fulcrum element 50 and a recess 51 along its forward edges adapted to engage the tear strip 43 and lip 42 respectively.

The operation of the opening mechanism is similar to that first described. The tear lever is erected to a vertical position in medial longitudinal alignment with the tear strip 40. The tear tab 44 is then pulled upwardly and swung or rolled forwardly to bring the fulcrum into engagement with the tear strip 43 and the recess into engagement with the lip 42. The swinging or rolling is continued until the tear strip 43 is severed and detached.

Referring now to FIGURE 7 of the drawing which illustrates still another embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 52 designates the improved container having an end wall 53, a peripheral lip 54, a tear strip 56 and a tear tab 57 shaped and related in the manner earlier described. The lever plate 58 includes an integrally formed laterally projecting tongue 59 suitably secured to the tear tab 50 between the ends there-of and is delineated from the remainder of the lever plate 58 by a longitudinally extending fold line 60. An inner edge 61 projects forwardly from the tongue 59 and joins an angularly related edge 63 which in turn is angularly related to the next successive edge 64. Disposed along the edge 64 are a first triangularly shaped fulcrum element 65 and a recess 66.

In employing the opening mechanism of the container 52, the lever plate 58 is folded along line 60 to an upright position and the tear tab 57 is pulled upwardly to initiate the tearing of the strip 56. With the pulling and rolling of the tear tab 57 and the tear lever 58 the edge 63 medially longitudinally engages the tear strip 56 and thereafter the fulcrum 65 engages the tear strip 56 and the recess 66 engages the lip 54. The strip tearing and detaching operations then proceed in the manner described above.

In the form shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the respective levers 48dar51g 58 may be integral with the respective tear tabs 44 an The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 8 difiers from that first described only in that a pair of tear levers 67 are provided which are mirror images and symmetrically disposed relative to the medial longitudinal axis of the tear strip 68. The lever plates 67 are joined by an integrally formed rectangular panel 69. The panel 69 is secured to the tear strip 68 between its ends and is delineated from the lever plates 67 by parallel fold lines 70 located inside the corresponding edges of the tear strip 68.

The operation of the last described opening mechanism is similar to that first described, differing therefrom only in that two tear levers are erected prior to the tearing operation instead of the one as in the first embodiment.

Referring now to FIGURES 9 to 13 of the drawings which illustrate a simplified form of the present device which may be employed to great advantage and differs from those described principally in the omission of the tear tab and in the provision of a finger piece formed integrally with the lever member. Specifically, the improved container 71 includes a top wall 72 provided with an upwardly directed peripheral lip 73. Tear lines delineating a longitudinal tear strip 74 are formed in the top wall 72, the tear strip 74 extending from the center of the top wall 72 radially to substantially the lip 73 and including a trailing or inner section 76 and a relatively wider outer section.

A level member 77 formed of a rigid material is secured to the tear strip trailing section 76 and includes a longitudinal panel 78 superimposed on the trailing section 76 and secured thereto in any suitable fashion, such as by means of a rivet 79. Projecting upwardly from the side edge of the panel 78 is an upright coextensive leg 80 from the upper edge of which an integrally formed lever plate 81 projects transversely to a point short of the lip 73 and normally overlying the top wall 72. The leg 80 may be provided with a longitudinal fold line at about the level of the top of the rivet 79 and is of a height to equal to about the sum of the radius of the rivet 79 the distance of the top thereof above the panel 78 so that when the lever plate 81 is raised, the upper edge of the leg 89 lies along the medial longitudinal axis of the tear strip 74.

The lever plate 81 includes an upwardly forwardly inclined bottom front edge 82 and a downwardly forwardly inclined upper edge 83 terminating in a forwardly directed section 84 which delineates with the upper section of the edge 82 a fulcrum projection 86. A recess or concavity 87 is formed in the upper section of the edge 83. The distance between the recess 87 and the leading edge of the panel 78 is approximately equal to the radial distance between said leading edge and the lip 73 and the distance of said leading edge from the fulcrum 86 is approximately half that of the distance of the leading edge from the lip 73. The lever plate 81 is provided with an integrally formed rearwardly directed outwardly located finger piece defining tab 88 delineated by a lower edge 89 upwardly rearwardly inclined from the trailing end of the leg 80 and an upper substantially horizontal edge 90, the edges 89 and 90 being joined by a trailing curved edge. A shallow cup shaped recess 91 is formed in the tab 88.

In order to effect the separation of the tear strip 74 from the wall 72 the finger piece 88 is grasped and the lever plate 81 is bent upwardly about the leg 80 until the upper part of the leg 80 substantially abuts the top face of the rivet 79 and the lever plate 81 is in an upright position along the longitudinal medial axis of the tear strip 74 as illustrated in FIGURE 11. The finger piece 88 is then raised and swung counter-clockwise about the leading edge of the panel 78 to detach the tear strip trailing section 76 and bring the fulcrum 86 into engagement with the tear strip front section between the ends thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 12. The finger piece is pulled forwardly and downwardly to swing the lever plate 81 about the fulcrum 86 to detach the trailing part of the tear strip leading section and bring the recess 87 into engagement with the lip 73 as shown in FIGURE 13. Complete detachment of the tear strip 74 from the wall 72 is then effected by pulling the finger piece forwardly and down- Wardly to swing the lever plate about the lip 73 as engaged by the recess 87. The aforesaid opening operation is simple and rapid and performed in an easy motion.

While there have been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without department from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising a wall provided with a tear line delineating a tear strip, a tear tab secured to said tear strip adjacent to an end thereof and normally overlying said wall and movable to an upwardly extending position, and a lever member secured to at least either said tear tab or said tear strip, and normally overlying said wall and movable to an upwardly extending position between said tear tab and the other end of said tear strip, said wall having an upwardly directed peripheral lip and said tear leyer having a recess formed in an edge thereof outwardly of said point of movement of said lever and adapted to engage said peripheral lip.

2. A container comprising a top wall delineated by a peripheral edge and provided with a tear line delineating a tear strip extending longitudinally radially toward said peripheral edge and including a trailing section remote from said peripheral edge, and a lever plate secured to said tear strip trailing section and extending transversely therefrom and norm-ally overlying said wall and movable to a position lying in a longitudinally extending plane substantially perpendicular to said tear strip and said lever member having a recess formed along an edge thereof and spaced along said edge from the point of securement to said tear strip a distance substantially equal to the distance of said point of securement from the edge of said end wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 195,604 7/1963 Fraze 220-54 2,563,176 8/1951 Kline 2l546 FOREIGN PATENTS 237,508 9/1961 Austria.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A WALL PROVIDED WITH A TEAR LINE DELINEATING A TEAR STRIP, A TEAR TAB SECURED TO SAD TEAR STRIP ADJACENT TO AN END THEROF AND NORMALLY OVERLYING SAID WALL AND MOVABLE TO AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING POSITION, AND A LEVER MEMBER SECURED TO AT LEAST EITHER SAID TEAR TAB OR SAID TEAR STRIP, AND NORMALLY OVERLYING SAID WALL AND MOVABLE TO AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING POSITION BETWEEN SAID TEAR TAB AND THE OTHER END OF SAID TEAR STRIP, SAID WALL HAVING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED PERIPHERAL LIP AND SAID TEAR LEVER HAVING A RECESS FORMED IN AN EDGE THEREOF OUTWARDLY OF SAID POINT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID PERIPHERAL LIP. 